


The Spirit of Youth

by RareUnusual



Category: Naruto
Genre: Blood and Violence, Boys In Love, Emotional Hurt, Fluff and Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Obsessive Behavior, Original Content - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Spirits, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2019-09-30 08:37:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17220575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RareUnusual/pseuds/RareUnusual
Summary: Spirits are very similar to Tailed Beasts, but they have their many differences.A war must be stopped. The lives of millions of innocent people in the villages are in danger, and they are unaware of it. A child of the Leaf carries the knowledge of the threat of the next Great War. He is given the honor of experiencing the pain of realization of what is to come, and the life-or-death decisions that would change the outcome forever.Thankfully, he is not alone. The Spirits, his friends, and his beloved Gai-sensei are all there to help, even if some of them are not aware of the danger that could tear their lives apart.“I will not fail! I will make this a happy ending!”“But you can not guarantee it..”“No, of course, I can not guarantee that, but I will do everything and try my very best into doing it! I promise! I.. I swear my life on it..”





	1. Who are you?

_Long ago, before the Tailed Beasts were ever heard of, there were the Spirits. Beings that were just as powerful, maybe even more, as the terrifying beasts, but much more calm and peaceful. They were found in a forest that was not yet named. A man and a woman first saw them. They were beautiful, transparent creatures, distinguishable mainly by their aura and their colors._

_The man and woman knew nothing of these creatures, but they did not fear, for these creatures were welcoming and seemingly harmless. Each of them gave off a unique aura, which gave them their names. The Spirit of Wisdom was a wonder with knowledge of everything. The Spirit of Strength was endlessly powerful with a strength that none could rival. The Spirit of Sight was breathtakingly beautiful with the sharpest of eyes. The Spirit of Youth was all positive energy with unwavering determination._

_Of course, they had many names, for example, with the Spirit of Wisdom also being the Spirit of Mystery, Darkness, Shadows, Mentality, Leadership, and many more._

_After the Spirits were given their names, they gave gifts to the man and woman. They both received the same things, but with different amounts. The man was given strength from the Spirit of Strength, and energy from the Spirit of Youth, but less wisdom and less sight. The woman was given wisdom from the Spirit of Wisdom, and sight from the Spirit of Sight, but less strength and less energy._

_The man and woman were very pleased with the Spirits, and decided to introduce them to their people. The Spirits followed the man and woman out of the forest, and into the small village where the people lived. The Spirits gave each of them a gift, and they were too, pleased with the Spirits, and cherished and honored them._

_They were accepted into the villages, but the peace and happiness did not last long. A few days later, a humble family in the village was massacred in the night. The murderers were never found, and that family had no known enemies or anyone who disliked them in anyway, so the other villagers grew suspicious of the newcomers, the Spirits._

_The next day, half of the farm animals were found dead, and the fertile soil that the crops were planted in were churned up and dry. Many people starved and died in the following moons, and the villagers looked upon the Spirits warily._

_For years, the village was met with misfortune and mysterious deaths. They were afraid of who were to die the next day. They were frightful of what they would see the next day. Eventually, when they were on edge for far too long, they snapped._

_The villagers demanded the Spirits to leave, and the Spirits did as they were told, not wanting to cause anymore trouble and hoping that the villagers would turn back into the peaceful state for when they first arrived._

_Instead, the villagers, unsatisfied with their actions, turned on the man and woman who had brought the Spirits into the land, saying that it was the man and woman’s decision that created so much chaos and death in the village. The man and woman were not asked to leave, but instead killed by the stampede of frightened villagers._

_The man and woman also had children, and they all fled in terror. The villagers pursued them into the forest, and into a small clearing in the forest. The children climbed onto a single tree stump in the middle of the clearing, and called for help. The villagers came closer, not thinking straight in their fear. They did not see that they were going to kill small, helpless children. They saw that they were going to kill little demons that brought their home the dangers and misfortune._

_Just as they reached towards the children on the stump, a flash of light blinded the villagers._

_”Do not harm these small children.” Four voices whispered with the leaves in the wind. “Fear not, for they are only human beings much like yourselves. They are only afraid, much like yourselves. Do not harm them, or you are much like hurting yourselves.”_

_The villagers stopped and listened to the voices. They did not know of what to think. They gripped their weapons tightly, staring at the frightened children with uncertainty. The four Spirits appeared with starlight, and the children disappeared in a swirl of leaves, guided by the Spirits._

_The villagers returned to their home, and they all agreed to never speak of the day ever again. Time passed, and they still refused to speak of that day. Eventually, what happened that night was forgotten by all. They forgot about the man and woman, the Spirits, and the children. The misfortunes did not disappear, but they happened less often than before. Deaths were caused by natural causes, or the people as murderers themselves. Perhaps it was for the best, to forget that night._

_The Spirits were forgotten, replaced by what everyone called, the Tailed Beasts. Nobody knows for sure, but legend has it, the children returned to the village in the leaves to live peacefully with the villagers, and perhaps they did. Nobody knew, of course, for they had forgotten what had happened after the years, but the Spirits were said to still wander in the forest, watching the village and the children that still lives to this day.._

He closed the book carefully, not wanting to ruin the book any further. He was not the type to read, but the book was the only thing that was found still intact by the wreckage of the kyuubi attack. Everything else was broken beyond use, burned into ashes, or just simply lost in all the chaos. Just like the lives that were lost.

He smiled, despite the dark thoughts. He wondered how it would feel to be living with a family. The closest thing he had as a family was when he was still at the orphanage, but even then he had practically nobody to talk to. He was not the only child that was orphaned after the attack, and after a few years, when he started the academy, he was pulled out of the orphanage and given a small home where he lived by himself. Alone.

It was less than ideal, to live by only himself at such a young age, but the owners of the orphanage were generous enough to give him a small monthly payment to help him get by. He was forevermore grateful, because he knew that he would not have survived without the orphanage’s generosity.

Because he lived alone, he was forced to mature quickly. He learned how to cook, to clean, to make smart decisions, and to manage his money. It was scary at first, but he got used to it. His life was stable, but.. he never knew that he had felt so alone.

He made acquaintances in the academy, but they never cared about what he said or how he felt.

”Shut up, I don’t care.”

”Leave me alone, I’m trying to concentrate!”

“Maybe later, okay? Jeez.”

It hurt in a weird way. Not a sting, a pinch, or a bruise like whenever he had a few accidents when training, but his heart throbbed. It hurt, mostly around his chest and throat. He never understood that pain, but it felt even worse than any pain he felt on his body.

“Normal kid, that Rock Lee. He just doesn't have the talents..”

That hurt too, but he knew it himself. He never learned how to use ninjutsu nor genjutsu, but what about taijutsu? He tries and tries, but he could not keep up with his classmates.

He was alone.

He shook himself out of the thoughts. He knew that if he was to graduate from the academy, he was going to have to train and do his very best. He leaped out of his bed, and made his way out of the door, ready for an afternoon training.

”His determination will get him far.”

”He has great potential for taijutsu with that type of mindset, but I don’t have high hopes for him.”

”Mm.. even if he can’t do ninjutsu or genjutsu, maybe he could do taijutsu? Who knows, he might not have much talents for that either.”

”Anyone can do taijutsu, but even this guy can’t do it very well.”

”We need to encourage him. It’s our job, anyway.”

”Who are his parents? Maybe he is meant to be a normal villager. No, he has chakra points all right, but why can’t he use them?”

”He should probably give up.”

”There’s no point in this. He’s just not qualified for the life of the ninja.”

He was in tears by the time he had collapsed in exhaustion. Resting against the battered stump, he listened to his heavy breathing and the soft breeze ruffling the grass. Sweat dripped from his chin, and he tilted his head back slightly to look at the healthy green of what he called Konoha.

A rustling of leaves startle day him from his rest. Only the people who lived in the forest would know how to tell the difference between a rustle from the wind and a rustle from a living being. He turned his head towards the direction of the sound, trying to detect the newcomer.

Instead of another person, a rather exuberant squirrel tumbled out of the bushes. Lee blinked in confusion, then broke into a smile as the squirrel looked up at him without fear.

”Hello, little guy!” He smiled at the creature, half-expecting the creature to run away.

The squirrel’s tail twitched once before the little furry thing raced towards the child, climbing up his legs and taking a perch on his left knee. It looked up at him as if it was saying **“Hello to you too!”**

Lee grinned. He move his right arm slowly as to not startle to creature and used two fingers to pet its fuzzy head, using his right knee to support his petting arm. The squirrel leaned into the touch, as if it was enjoying the attention. The squirrel looked up at him with its beady brown-black eyes, pressing its brown fur against the child’s skin. Lee looked at the coloring on the squirrel. It was completely light brown except for its white belly, paws, and face.

After a few more minutes of rest, Lee decided to attempt at doing a few more pushups before returning home, so he did, with the squirrel sitting between his shoulder blades, on his back.

After his arms started to shake uncontrollably, he stopped and sat up, allowing the squirrel to dig its tiny claws into his clothes to climb onto his shoulders. He felt refreshed from his workout, and he could see the sun slowly going down. It was probably almost time for dinner.

”I need to go home now.” Lee whispered to his new friend.

 **”Aw.. May I come with you?”** The squirrel tilted its head and sat up, resting on its hind legs and flicking its fluffy tail.

Lee broke into a grin. “Of course you can! I am not sure what your diet is but..”

 **“Oh, I do not need to eat.”** The brown thing climbed around Lee’s shoulders with excitement. **“Will you accept me?”**

“Yosh!” Lee's bright smile reached this eyes. “May I ask for your name? I never met a squirrel that could communicate with humans”

 **“My name? I have many names.”** The squirrel jumped onto the child’s hands, turning to look into the boy’s dark eyes. **“I was called many things.”**

“Do you have a preference?” Lee was a polite kid, and he did not want to offend his new companion. “Who are you?”

The squirrel looked up at him with shimmering eyes. “ **I am Lotus, the Spirit of Youth.”**


	2. Befriending Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter was basically a prologue, showing how Lee met the Spirit of Youth. I know, not very exciting, but it seemed the most normal. This is where the story actually begins.
> 
> Remember, I do not own Naruto, there are going to be many major changes in the plot of the real story, but this is just a fanfiction. Fanfictions are meant to be random stories that are not real and made by fans.

* * *

* * *

_The village is noisy today._

**I have to agree.**

Lee watched in a mixture of amusement and confusion at the young, blonde-haired boy that was screaming at the top of his lungs at the other dark-haired boy. They were most likely academy students, probably going to graduate this year, which made them one year younger than he was.

”Fight me, Sasuke!”

”Why would I want to fight a loser like you? You’re not challenging enough for me to fight.”

_The dark haired boy is an Uchiha?_

**Yes, I believe so. The symbol on the back of his clothes is for the Uchiha clan.**

_And the other boy.._

**Do you feel the aura too?** The presence of Lotus that was inside of Lee’s head, much like a tailed beast speaking to their host, was shifting around, tense.

_Yes. The ninetails.._

**You do not feel anger?**

_Wha- of course not! He is just a child. It is not his fault for the kyuubi’s destruction. He was not the person who had caused those deaths._

**Then do you feel any hatred towards the person who released the beast?**

_..Not necessarily._

There was silence, at least, in his mind. A comforting warmth spread through his chest, most likely caused by the Spirit.  **I understand.**

Lee watched the two kids arguing and smiled. They were a lot like himself and Neji when they were slightly younger. It was amusing to see them, and he was curious about them too.

_Does he not know that he carries the beast?_

**I think not. That is alright, he will find out eventually.**

_I feel sympathy for him.._

Lee’s conversations with Lotus had changed his ways of thinking dramatically. He still had those exuberant bursts of energy, but he was much more emotionally aware now. He was actually grateful for that, for he could notice slight changes in his friends’ moods to know when he should bother them to spar or back off to leave them alone.

”You’re just scared because you know that I’ll win!”

”Scared? I’ll show you how ‘scared’ I am!”

Lee shifted slightly from his perch in the tree. _Should we stop them?_

**They can settle it themselves, then you can confront one of them, if you would like to.**

He sank back into his place on the stable branch, and continued to watch. _Lotus?_

**Yes?**

_Is there something on your mind? You seemed troubled lately._

**Oh.. I will tell you when the time is right.**

_Alright.. You can trust me whenever!_ Lee smiled, even when Lotus could not see it, they could sense it. The Spirit laughed.

**Of course I can. You are a good soul.**

Lee smiled warmly at the praise, then resumed his watch.

The blonde-haired boy charged at the black-haired, but the black-haired dodged out of the way, throwing a punch at the other. The blonde staggered back, and jumped at the raven again.

_He is angry. He is unsteady with rage._

**Yes.. he appears to have a distressful past.**

_I thought so too.. how saddening.._

“Hey! What are you two doing?”

A man ran out of the academy and seperated the two boys. “Go home! The final test is tomorrow!”

”Hmph!” The blonde crossed his arms and sulked.

”Hn.” The raven shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing at the blonde in disgust. He then quickly returned to his cool demeanor, and walked off towards his home as if nothing has happened.

When the raven was out of sight, the blonde exclaimed “Iruka-sensei! I could have beaten him!”

Iruka sighed, closing his eyes. “Go home, Naruto.”

The blonde, Naruto, opened his mouth as if to say something to start and argument, but stopped, shoulders sagging. “Okay..” He grumbled.

He walked away, head low, lips pouting. Iruka smiled a fond smile, then retreated back into the academy doors. He glanced at the blonde one last time with a sympathetic expression, before shutting the door behind him.

_The ninetails’ host.. surely the other children knows?_

There was a moment of thoughtful silence before the Spirit responded.

**No. Only the adults know, and it was forbidden to speak of it. That is why they mistreated and neglected the child; because they are afraid.**

Lee breathed out through his nose. _How.. terrible.._ He put up a smile. He would help the kid. The child deserved so much more than that. He would give him the care that he needs!

 **I sense that spark of energy.** Lotus gave off an aura of mild excitement, and if they were in their physical form, Lee knew that they would be sporting a smile.

He beamed brightly, leaping from building to building, following after the boy. _I have decided to help him! He seems so sad.. Remember, Lotus? Gai-sensei told us that a happy person is a motivated person, and a motivated person can do anything if they put their mind to it! That is how he helped me, so I will help the boy that way as well!_

Laughter, light, happy laughter echoed through Lee’s mind. **You have a good soul. Gai was the first human that actually helped you, accepted you, and took care of you. Of course you would attach to him emotionally!**

 _Gai-sensei is the best teacher!_ Lee felt himself smiling as the wind ruffled his hair. He expertly gripped the roof of a building, swinging himself down to the shorter building after.

**Of course he is, child.**

He watched the blonde kid walking around the streets, head hanging downwards, but the pout still plastered across his stubborn face. His eyes were squinted, and the unusual ‘whiskers’ on his cheeks were slightly puffed out with the pout. Lee smiled. It reminded him of himself when he was younger, before he met Gai-sensei.

When he was still in the academy the year before, he was constantly frustrated, angry, and upset. He had Lotus to comfort him, but when the other children picked on him, he could not help but react so intensely to their words, their actions. It hurt him, messed up his confidence, but he still carried on, thanks to the encouraging and soothing words from the Spirit, and he graduated, despite his lack of ninjutsu and genjutsu techniques.

Now, he was satisfied. His teacher supported him and cared for him, with that loving and optimistic smile. His teammate Tenten was nice. Scolding, but it was pretty sweet because it showed that she cared. Neji was.. strange. He was the dark shadow of the group, powerful, mysterious, and with so much hidden rage. Lee could feel it.

He shook himself out of those thoughts. Now, he had something else to focus on. He dropped down into the streets and paused to tighten the bandages around his forearms, a comfortable smile on his face as he thought about one of the most important things in his life. There were many things that he was thinking about at the moment, but the main one was  _Hm.. what should I eat for breakfast tomorrow?_

There was a moment of silence, minus the usual noise of the busy villagers strolling around. **..Is that all that you think of these days? Breakfast?**

Lee scoffed out loud.  _Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! You will not know because you do not need to eat!_

**Just because I do not need to eat does not mean that I do not like to eat. I love food too! You should know that by now! I was just wondering if breakfast was as important as befriending the beast’s host.**

“Oh!” Lee snapped his head up unnecessarily quickly from the bandages, causing a nearby group of villagers to frown, startled. _Where did he go?_

**You lost him already? Ah.. we can at least practice your senses. Try to find his aura.**

Lee calmed down, focusing his energy and making it stretch out to the surrounding areas. He did not use chakra, but energy instead, which was actually very complex, especially when it was combined with the energy of a Spirit. Energy is physical and emotional, but chakra is mental and.. another sort of power.

His senses picked up on the red aura, and he moved forwards, trying to keep his focus on the aura while, at the same time, dodging through the busy streets and crowds. He felt himself focusing more and more on the red aura until its source was clear as day to him. He felt himself darkening to the outside world.. and he ran and ran, not knowing where he was going, but feeling the red aura grow stronger and stronger as it came closer and closer-

**Careful! You do not want to run into someone!**

Suddenly, as if on cue, Lee felt himself colliding into another, sending him sprawling backwards. He had ran into someone. Perfect timing!

Lotus was quiet, as if shocked into silence, just like Lee. Luckily, Lee did not fall over, but his face was hurting from the sudden impact. The red aura was as closer than ever before, but he felt too stunned from the collision to notice. His focus drained away.

”Ow..”

Lee immediately snapped out of his daze at the sound of the pained voice. “I am so sorry!” He put out a hand without thinking to help up the stranger, but when he focused on his sight rather than the aura, he saw the blonde hair, blue eyes, orange jacket-

“Its okay! Thanks!”

The blonde that Lee was trying to look for took his hand gratefully. “Who are you?”

Lee blinked in confusion. He was following the boy’s trail.. how did he run into him? He should have known, he was watching out for him, following his aura!

**You were focusing on the boy’s aura, not his physical form. You never knew how close you were because you were only looking at his source, not his solid state.**

Lee sighed, mentally. Right. Not again. The same thing had happened when he was tracking down Neji and Tenten as practice; he lost his sense of physical sight, and slipped into his emotional senses and ended up either too close or too far away from the target, but he had never collided into them.. until now.

“Oh! I am Rock Lee! It is nice to meet you- sorry again!”

The blonde smiled, amused and a little confused. “I’m Naruto Uzumaki, and it’s okay, accidents like that happen all the time! You have bushy eyebrows!”

Lee felt himself smiling too. The boy’s smile was contagious, and his cheery voice was charming in a silly way. “Hehe, thank you? Oh, I saw you around before!”

“Oh yeah?” Naruto looked genuinely eager to listen, even when he was talking to a stranger. “Where?”

”Well, I saw you around in the streets from time to time, but most recently I saw you fighting with that other black-haired kid.” He had always hated lying and keeping secrets, and this was technically not a lie. He _did_  see Naruto around in the streets and he _did_ see Naruto fight- or spar -with the Uchiha kid.

“The whole thing?”

”Yes!” Lee was unsure if that would make the boy happy or upset. He had gotten scolded at the end, which had placed him in a bad mood..

”I could have beaten that stupid Sasuke!” Naruto exclaimed with fiery passion. “If Iruka-sensei had not shown up, Sasuke would be knocked out on the ground, believe it!"

Lee would have disagreed with that; the fight seemed to be more on Sasuke’s side than Naruto’s, but he nodded enthusiastically anyway, not directly agreeing nor disagreeing with Naruto’s statement. What he wanted was to make the kid happy, and that was what he was going to do! “I think that you fight strongly for your age!”

“What?” Naruto looked at him with disbelief, but also timid hope. It was as if he had never gotten praised before, which reminded Lee so much about himself, that it hurt. “Really?”

The raven nodded once more, causing his hair to shake. “Mhm! If I was still in the academy, then you would have beaten me too!” Praises seemed to get the blonde cheered up, and it made him happy to see the boy smile.

”Haha! Cool! What about now?”

”Oh?” Lee stared at the kid and tilted his head slightly, a confused smile forming. “What do you mean?”

Naruto looked at him with excited blue eyes. “Do you think that I can beat you right now?”

”Oh! Uh..” Lee thought for a bit. “Probably not.. but-!” He quickly added, seeing the deflated look creeping onto Naruto’s face. “-I was trained under a very good teacher, and you will probably catch up very quickly if you had a great teacher too! Also, I only watched you fight in that recent battle only, so I do not know your talents and real fighting power at the moment.” _Although I have a feeling that you have great potential, with your fiery attitude and hidden powers. We just have to free you from the negativity that is dragging you down!_

“I can show you!” Naruto jumped up and down in excitement. “Let’s spar! I can show you and maybe you can teach me?” He looked at the older boy with a hopeful look.

Lee could not help but smile. He had only known the boy for three minutes, and he was already caught by his passionate charm and he could already feel a potential bond forming between them. It warmed his heart. “Of course, I would love to spar!”

Naruto grinned, overjoyed and excited. “Yay! But first- can we eat? I’m starving.”

The taijutsu user laughed. They were practically strangers, but he felt so at ease around the blonde already. “Are you bribing me?”

”What- no!” Naruto spluttered, causing Lee to laugh even more. “I’m just-!”

”Yosh! You are hungry, so am I! Where would you like to eat?” He shot him a smile, laughter still in his eyes.

“Mm..” Naruto paused to think. “How about..” He frowned in intense concentration, causing Lee is giggle slightly. “What was that place called.. Oh yeah! Ichiraku Ramen! Would you like some ramen, Bushy Brows?” Naruto looked at Lee expectantly.

Lee could not take the smile off his face, it felt permanent. The look of concentration on Naruto’s face was hilariously ridiculous! And the nickname! Lee was gushing inside, and Lotus was being overwhelmed by the strong emotions. “Sounds good!”

 **Please.. stop.. I am drowning..** Lee felt the Spirit’s form sinking into the back of his mind, as if trying to block out Lee’s thoughts like a squirrel backing away from a potential threat.

_I can not help it! This boy is so extraordinary, he makes me feel so light, it is silly and charming- did you see how he looked when he was thinking? It was adorable, was it not-? and he give me a nickname- I love it and- and-!_

**Dear God, please save me.**

“Okay, follow me!” Naruto beamed at the other, and grabbed his arm, tugging him along as he ran.

Lee let out a laugh as he was pulled across the streets, getting a few weird looks from the childish noises that they were making. He allowed himself to slip partially into ‘energy sense’ to feel Naruto’s aura and grow accustomed to it, familiarizing with it. As soon as he activated his sensing, he nearly flinched.

The red chakra of the kyuubi, mixed with the blue chakra of Naruto, was giving off a feeling that sent off danger signals in Lee’s head. Something was telling him to pull his arm away from the boy. The boy is dangerous, get away!

 **The kyuubi** **is only aware of our presence.** Lotus soothed, coming back into focus. **He is giving off that threatening aura as a warning to back off.**

Lee frowned, trusting Naruto to lead him around without causing him to crash into something. _But why would it do that, and how does it know about us?_

 **He can sense the unusual presence of a Spirit, and he feels threatened by it.** Lotus explained. **No worries! He can not harm us because the seal on the demon is very, very strong. The person who made it was quite talented, I am very impressed. The only way it can harm us is by influencing its host, Naruto, to attack us.**

Lee calmed down. He trusted the child. Something about him made him so likable. He giggled. Naruto was stubborn, annoying, and probably arrogant in some degrees, but he was sweet, adoring, and good-hearted. Lee could tell, and Lotus agreed too.

”Alright, we’re here!” Naruto slowed to a stop, giving Lee enough time to stop himself from running into the other.

They were at a small ramen shop, with a sign above it that read ‘Ichiraku Ramen.’ It seemed to be a simple place to eat, nothing like a fancy diner or restaurant, and Lee was grateful for that.

”Come and sit!” Naruto practically dragged Lee into one of the chairs. “Order something! Everything is delicious here, so you don’t have to worry about it tasting weird!”

The cheerful and proud voice pulled a smile onto the black-haired boy’s face, and he told the younger that he would eat whatever the blonde would eat.

Naruto’s face lighted up in a faint pink. “O-oh okay! Good! I’ll pick something amazing!” Naruto then proceeded to search for the perfect ramen, concentrating super hard on the menu, and Lee found himself covering his laughter with his hand.

A middle-aged man, with graying hair and a kind smile, approached the two. He seemed to be the owner of the little shop, with his white cooking attire.

”Hello there, Naruto and his new friend. What would you like to order?” the man asked with a gentle voice, and Lee immediately knew that Naruto was a frequent customer, judging from the man’s friendly and relaxed greeting, as if he had known Naruto for a long time.

”Hmm!” Naruto was still thinking, very hard, causing Lee to turn away from the blonde and stifle his light-hearted laughter with both hands as to not interrupt the younger’s ‘extreme concentration.’

”Well, alright then.” The man turned towards Lee. “Would you like anything? Mister..?”

”Lee. Rock Lee,” He gave the man a friendly smile of his own. “and I am ordering whatever Naruto is ordering.” He glanced at said male, who was now furiously glaring at the menu.

”Oh, is that so?” The man chuckled, a knowing look in his eyes. “Alright then, call me whenever he’s ready.” With that, he turned away to take orders from another customer.

 **What a cute little shop!** Lotus commented, and Lee could feel them peering out through his own eyes. **Too bad I can not eat in this form..**

Lee let out a sympathetic hum. _No worries, you can still eat back home.. or would you like to take a risk and try eating in a physical form right now?_

 **Oh!** There was a brief pause. **I enjoy not only the taste of the food, but I would like to run around for a bit as well. It had been getting quite stuffy in here..**

 _..Are you saying that my mind is an unsuitable place?_ Lee huffed half-heartedly.

 **No no! I just feel.. I want to be outside, have some fresh air. I had been inside for too long.** Lotus sighed dramatically.

 _It had only been one day._ Lee mentally laughed.

**Shh, you are ruining the moment!**

Lotus started to rise, untangling themselves from Lee’s soul, but still maintaining the connection between one other. The connection allowed to Spirit to rest inside Lee’s existence, and it was never to be broken, unless by death or another emotional form. Lotus then separated from Lee’s physical body, and slipped under the table to create a physical body for themselves.

“Okay! I got it!” Naruto suddenly yelled, causing Lee to jump a little. “Sir! I want to order two pork ramen for the two of us!”

”Coming right up!” the man turned to a girl, most likely his daughter, and told her the two orders. Then, they got to work.

Naruto spun around on the chair to face Lee, a proud grin on his face. “You’ll love it! It tastes super good, trust me!”

Lee ruffled the boy’s hair. “Thank you for considering your options, and I would be paying for it!”

”Uh, really? Cool!” Naruto let out a little whoop, and squirmed around in the chair in a little dance.

Lee found himself smiling yet again at the boy’s cheerful self. It was fun to spend time with another for once. He was usually by himself and Lotus, and honestly, the Spirit was enough to keep him satisfied, but he could not help but feel curious to befriend others and meet new people. It was quite exciting, if not, a little tiring, which was strange.

Tiny claws dug into his pants, and a little body started to climb up his legs. Lee sighed in relief. At least he knew that Lotus was still here and fine.

”Hey, Naruto?” The blonde immediately turned his attention back towards the other, listening intently. “Are you okay with staying out in this hour? What about back at home?”

”Eh?” Naruto looked confused, but Lee could see a defensive look in the other’s. Tensing shoulders and the slightest purse of the lips. The blonde’s arms twitched, as if wanting to cross over his chest protectively. “I’m okay with staying out ‘cause I want to. I don’t have any parents back home, if that’s what you’re talking about.”

 _Oh.._ Lee felt his own eyes softening, and if Naruto could sense the change in the raven’s demeanor, he didn't show it. “I was just wondering. I apologize if I had offended you.” He gave Naruto a short bow with his head in sincerity.

Naruto immediately relaxed from his stiff posture and even looked a little guilty. “Wait no, it’s okay. I just want to spend time with you, ‘cause you're cool and I have nothing to do at home!”

Lee met looked into Naruto’s blue eyes with his obsidian pair, feeling a little warm on the face. “Really? I feel so honored.”

Naruto gave a little laugh, and Lee could not stop himself from hugging the younger boy. Naruto clearly had not expected it, as he almost fell out of his chair in surprise. Lee buried his face into the blonde’s hair, which was slightly sweaty from the recent fight and more recent run, but Lee could not bring himself to care, because his hair was in a similar state, with his roof running and run as well as his giddy emotions and desire to spread kindness exceeding everything else.

Naruto was silent, probably shocked, then returned the hug warmly, and Lee could feel the smile pressing against his shoulder. It was sweet. A warm, sweet, and heart-warming hug. It felt very nice, to be held with another, just for the enjoyment of each others’ company.

They parted at the same time, just as the food was done. Naruto glanced happily at Lee, his cheeks reddened and eyes sparkling. “Let’s eat while its still fresh and hot! Thank you, ramen person!”

Lee smiled warmly. He felt a little warm in the face too, but it felt right, in a strange way. He was happy, and he was satisfied. As he snapped apart the wooden chopsticks, Lotus climbed onto the table in their physical body, which was the same squirrel from when they first met. Beady black eyes, light brown and white fur, and the same fluffy tail.

Naruto stole a glance in their direction, blinking curiously at the fluffy creature who looked back up at the blonde with a little tilt in its head.

"Is that a squirrel?" He asks with his mouth filled with spicy noodles.

Lee could practically feel the spirit letting out a scoff and saying  **"Oh, no, I am actually a fluffy alien chicken monster that is going to steal your chakra and eat your soul and look cute while doing it."**

"Naruto, this is my p-." Lee stopped when Lotus dug their little claws into his palm. They obviously did not want to be called a pet. "Er, this is my friend, Lotus."

Their grip loosened, and Lee smiled fondly as the Spirit sat back pleasantly.

"Hi, Lotus! Do you want to try some of my ramen?" Naruto smiled after gulping down his ramen. "Whoever's Lee's friend is my friend too!"

Lotus was seemingly pleased as they padded up to the blonde with smoothed fur. Naruto gave the squirrel a piece of noodle and pork with his chopsticks. Lotus twitched their tail once before taking the food politely with both hands (or paws).

As they conversed and ate, they did not notice the sun going down and the sky growing darker until Naruto had finished his fourth bowl. The blonde had ordered more ramen, much to Lee's amusement, and was now stretching with a satisfied look on his face.

"That was fun, Bushy Brows!" Naruto had a pleasant look on his face, folded arms behind his head, elbows pointing up. "We should do that again sometime!" Suddenly, the boy looked almost afraid. "Well.. that is.. if you want to?" he looked at the green clad boy with hopeful eyes.

Lee placed a hand on Naruto's head, ruffling his hair gently. "Of course, I would love to." he said genuinely.

Naruto let out a squeak of happiness and latched onto the raven in what seemed to be a hug, which Lee returned immediately. Of course he would return a hug! His love for hugs came from the ones that Gai-sensei and Lotus gave him.

The Spirit jumped onto the blonde's shoulder and pressed themselves onto his ear with open arms, as if giving him a hug too. After the whole-hearted embrace, Naruto laughed and practically floated away in joy, waving and grinning.

 _Wow, that kid is so sweet._ Thought Lee, as the Spirit slowly sank back into his consciousness. 

 **He has great potential.** Lee could feel Lotus's smile.  **You befriended a potentially strong and genuine ally. He appears trustworthy, even if I could feel the negativity behind that face.. you feel it too, right?**

 _Yes._ Lee watched Naruto leave. He could feel the loneliness inside the blonde. It was heartbreaking, really. Lee placed a hand on his chest, then moved it outwards slowly, curling his fingers to form a thumbs-up. It was much like the Nice Guy Pose, but this time it was with a solemn promise.

_I promise to give you what you deserve, Naruto Uzumaki.. Happiness.._

Even if he had just met Naruto, he knew that he could trust the kid. It was such as a feeling, and instinct. He smiled softly, still remembering that contagious smile that Naruto possessed.

_The saddest of people have the brightest of smiles._


	3. Mysterious Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had left this work for a while.. I'm sorry for leaving behind the (few) people who had read this.
> 
> I forgot how fun it is to write a fanfic!

The familiar rush of dodging and hitting, jumping and kicking. The satisfying impact of a landed blow. An open hand strike, missing completely.. then..

”Ah!”

His back hit a tree, and the air was knocked out of his lungs. Neji really is a powerful genin. The Hyuuga dropped back into his fighting stance as he watched the other climbing to his feet.

”Not.. finished.. yet!”

The brunette girl nearby who was watching the spar let out a sigh. “Lee, that’s enough.”

Neji did not say anything. He just stood still, watching the green clad boy struggling to rise. He felt odd.

Why was this boy trying? It was all in vain. It was because of fate that Lee was not powerful enough to defeat him. Lee had no talents that were acceptable in the shinobi world. It was because of destiny that the Hyuuga had this power.. but..

The pale-eyed boy narrowed his eyes. He could see it. That strange thing, hiding inside Lee’s chakra points. What is it? He wondered why Lee was not able to use ninjutsu, even when his chakra points were not deformed nor damaged. They were perfectly normal.. so why..?

He was pratically glaring now. _What is that I see? It is not the common blue chakra.. it’s green, but of course it’s not from medical chakra.._ Neji frowned. Lee as a medic? No, that would be just weird.

”Hey.. Neji, are you okay?”

Neji looked up in surprise. Tenten was staring at him with concern in her brown eyes, while Lee leaned against the tree, looking at Neji confusion.

”I apologize, I was distracted by.. other thoughts.”

Tenten relaxed. “We can stop sparring and take a break, if you want. Gai-sensei isn’t here at the moment, so we can just rest for a bit before he comes back.

Neji hesitated, then nodded. He was not tired yet, but a break sounded good.

“A break!” Lee perked up, his confused expression  replaced by a look of shock. “While Gai-sensei is gone? Even if he is not here to watch us, we must continue the training! We are not only here to impress our dear sensei, but we are also here to train our bodies to maintain its youthful state! Do not neglect our exercises!”

Tenten let out a tired sigh. “Lee..”

Lee jumped to his feet, despite the bruises and scrapes that he had gotten earlier. “You can rest, as much as I would like you to join me, but I will not accept a break! I still have energy left, and I must push myself beyond my limits to create higher goals and become stronger!” He then started running around the field.

Tenten shook her head, smiling fondly, then continued sharpening and cleaning her collection of kunai.

Neji took a seat in the soft grass near Tenten, under the shade of a tree to escape the bright sun. He watched Lee run around the field. It was pointless. Why would he waste so much time and energy for a goal that he would never achieve? Neji stiffened. What if Lee was meant to be a normal civilian?

He activate his byakugan, trying to study Lee’s chakra signatures again, until- _there._ He saw it again. That strange green glow inside Lee’s body. It was right where his heart was supposed to be. Suddenly, the thing moved, as if it was a living organism. Neji stiffened, his first thought being some sort of parasite, but as he watched more caredully, he noticed that the green area was not chakra at all.

It was.. energy? Well, not really the energy you use to move and jump and all that, but it was another type of power source, similar to chakra, but with different ways of usage. What was that doing in Lee’s body?

Deep in thought, Neji failed to see the other chakra signal that was hurtling towards Lee at an insane speed. His eyes widened. An enemy? He stood up suddenly, causing Tenten to flinch. He had to help Lee-! Wait.

He had used his byakugan for too long.. his eyes were unfocused and he saw double.. at least that’s what he thought. _Why are there two Lees?_ Two Lees? Even thinking about that was scary.

When he came back to focus, he saw the enemy grabbing Lee, picking him up, shaking him- and Neji feels strange- what the heck is happening? What is this person who looks so much like Lee doing to him? Why isn’t Tenten helping, and- oh.

”Lee, my precious, youthful student! I see that you were doing extra training, just like the day before and the day before that and the day before that and the days beyond! I am so proud of you, Lee!”

”Thank you Gai-sensei!”

”You make me so proud, I am so glad that I have been given such a passionate and determined child as a student!”

”Aw, Gai-sensei!”

”Oh, Lee!”

”Gai-sensei!”

”Lee!”

”Gai-sensei!”

“Lee!”

”Gai-sensei!”

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

_AHHHHHHHHH_ **  
**

Neji sat back down. How could he had been so idiotic? Of course Gai-sensei would have approached Lee in that way. He let out a noise that sounded like a cross between a groan, a sigh, and a strangled exhale underwater. Tenten glanced at him in genuine concern.

He peered at the two exuberant males over his knees. Why was he so focused on Lee anyway? Lee was a failure, just like the his sister. His eyes sharpened into a half-glare. He didn't even want to think about the other Hyuuga. His, weak, useless sister.

"Alright, my beautiful students!" Gai-sensei jumped towards his other two students, causing them to flinch. "After thirty more laps around the field, you will be dismissed for the day."

Lee's eyes widened. "Thirty laps? Why not sixty?"

Tenten groaned as their teacher scratched his chin, considering the option. "Lee, no! I'm so tired.."

"Maybe not sixty.." Gai said, still scratching his chin.

"Ah, thank you." Tenten sighed in relief, and Meji couldn't help but agree.

"How about a hundred instead?" Gai exclaimed.

"No!" Both Neji and Tenten yelled while Lee screamed "Yes!"

"Okay, okay, fine. Fifty." Gai started to run, Lee right behind him.

Tenten sighed, muttering under her breath about how some people didn't care about others, and started to run.

Neji ran too, but he was mostly lost in thought. He did not exactly understand why, but he was intrigued by the other genin. Lee was.. weird. Not only in looks and personality, but also his energy and motives.

Where did he get that green energy from? Why is he so motivated to try? Did he have some type of kekkei genkai that gave him the green energy? He had to know. He didn't know why he cared, but Lee was a mystery, an enigma. He had to know.

The laps were finished, and they were dismissed. After one last hug from his beloved sensei, Lee ran off into the busy areas of the village. Tenten packed up her weapons, and started to walk home, and Gai leaped away to challenge his rival.

Neji stood still, in the middle of the field. Then, after a brief moment of hesitation, the Hyuuga began to pursue the boy clad in green.

***

Lee ran towards the side of the building, not slowing down. Like every other day after training, Lee loved jumping from rooftop to rooftop after a good exercise.

He took a mighty leap, kicking off of the wall and onto the building parallel to the one he used as leverage. The air rushed through his hair as he ran through the sky, bringing a smile over his youthful face.

Despite the freedom and joy he felt, he still had a slight feeling of.. paranoia. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he knew that Lotus was feeling the same. Their anxiety was radiating off of them, filling Lee's mind.

_Lotus, what's wrong?_

After a moment of thoughtful silence, the Spirit replied:  **You felt it too, right? The Hyuuga..**

Lee pursed his lips.  _Oh, yes. His stare was very.. intense. It was quite unsettling, to be honest._ He remembered the way Neji stared at him, as if he was a box holding a mysterious package instead of a human being.  _What about him?_

 **He..** The Spirit let out a shaky breath.  **I think he knows, or, at least, suspects.** **Suspects our bond, I mean.** They added after sending Lee's confusion.

"Ohhh.." Lee said outloud, jumping onto the next building.  _You're afraid of being discovered?_

 **Yes.** Lotus's imaginary form trembled.  **He is very intelligent and will figure it out soon, if we don't do something.**

Lee ran in silence.  _Bu.. but.. I'm sorry if I'm being insensitive, but what is wrong with Neji knowing about you? You won't hurt anyone.. right?_

 **Of course I won't!** The Spirit sighed.  **It's just.. Look, child.. I must admit, there are many things that you do not understand; many things that I am not telling you. I promise, I will explain more clearly when the time comes, so please be patient and thoughtful for now. Understand? What is your main question?**

Lee mentally nodded, confirming that be understood.  _Alright, I will. I just want to know why.. Is our bond a bad thing? Why can't others know about.. us?_

 **Some people know about Spirits, and, like the Tailed Beasts, those people will try to find their power and energy to keep it for themselves. There are some good people, but there are also bad people.. and if Neji finds out, he may talk to his family or friends, and there is a good chance that one of them know about us Spirits.. and that may endanger your life.** The Spirit gave Lee a mental hug.  **I don't want you to get hurt because of me..**

Lee slowed to a stop on the top of Ichiraku Ramen. He felt warm and happy inside, knowing that the Spirit cared deeply about him. He smiled.  _Aww, thank you, Lotus! I know that there are other things that you are worried about too, but, like you said, I will wait for you._

He felt the Spirit smiling, and possibly tearing up.  **Thank you, Lee. I am forever grateful for your consideration. I promise to tell you when the time is right, and unfortunately, that time is very near..** The Spirit's voice grew sad near the end, but Lee did not exactly understand why. Shouldn't it be a good thing?

Suddenly, Lotus tensed up, causing Lee to do the same and crouch, lowering his body to make himself a smaller target to a possible threat.  _What? What's wrong?_

 **Some.. someone..** Lotus whispered.  **Someone is watching us. We are being followed.**

 _Followed?_ Lee looked around, searching for a gaze. Nobody was watching them. The villagers were walking around and talking, minding their own business like everyday.  _I don't see anybody.._

**Use your sense. I can feel from.. to the right.**

Lee zeroed in on the area that Lotus indicated. He saw many normal auras; the type of aura that were not interested in his.. but.. in the midst, was a different aura. Lee concentrated harder, and, without turning his head, he perceived the gaze of Neji.

 **The Hyuuga?** Lotus peered through Lee's eyee, trying to get a good look.  **I knew that I should had been worried about him.**

 _What is he doing here?_ Lee wondered.  _Should I approach him?_

**Hm.. no. I think that it would be best if he doesn't know that we sensed him.**

_Alright.._ Lee felt another aura coming from his left. A familiar aura, a mixture of blue and a small, yet furious red..

"Naruto!"

Lee snapped back into his physical sight, and jumped down from his perch, causing the shop owner and a few customers- including Naruto -to jump back in surprise.

"Bushy Brows!" Naruto's face broke into a grin. "How did ya get up there?"

"Oh," Lee let out a small laugh. "I love roof-running, so it's pretty normal for me to get up high."

"Wow!" Naruto's eyes sparkled in excitement. "Can you teach me how someday?"

"Yeah, if course!" Lee gave him a big smile, and looking at the blonde's joyful face made him forget about the worries his shared with Lotus and Neji.

"Great!" Naruto's face dusted with a slight pink. "Um, can we train together? And maybe eat afterwards?" He gave the older a hopeful smile.

Lee closed his eyes in a genuine smile. "Yes! Of course! But what is your purpose of training?"

"Aw yeah!" Naruto jumped up and down, before thinking. "Hm.. well, I want to show that dumb Sasuke how strong I am! And I need to learn how to fight well in order to become the Hokage, because someday, I will! Believe it!"

Lee giggled a little. "I believe you! Is that all of the reasons of your training?"

After another brief moment of thinking, Naruto's face turned a tad bit darker with a blush. "W-well.. uh.. I would l-like to spend more time with you." He smiled in a mixture of embarrassment and affection.

"Aww!" Lee placed a bandaged hand over his heart. "That is so sweet! Thank you!"

Naruto beamed. "Yeah, no problem! Do you know a good place to train? Maybe somewhere where we won't get trouble, y'know?"

"Hm.. somewhere where we won't get disturbed or attacked?" Lee's thoughts lingered to his special place in the clearing of the forest. The stump where he trained with when he was little. "I know just the place!"

 **A good pick.** Lotus smiled.  **That place is much more important than you think.**

He beckoned for Naruto to follow him, glancing one last time towards the place Neji was. Surprisingly, he was still there, watching them with a neutral expression with his normal glaring eyes.

He felt himself tending at the scrutiny, but found himself relaxing as he met eyes with Naruto. He smiled, all worries dissolving, and ran towards his special training place, happily anticipating his afternoon with Naruto.

***

There was something off about him. Neji stared, as Lee ran off with that boy called Naruto. The way Lee smiled to himself, as if he was having a silent conversation with an invisible guest. Weird. Neji had to know.

He felt his eyes twitching from the strain of using his byakugon for too long. What was he doing, standing out here to stalk a teammate instead of training?

He knew that he was probably wasting his time, but he also knew that there was something there. A ghost? A Tailed Beast? He had to know. He didn't know why, but he had to know.

Neji closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to soothe himself from the built-up of stress. That feeling he felt when Lee smiled at that Naruto kid.. what was it? It was.. bitter.

He turned away, making his way to his home to practice his Gentle Fist. Maybe he will find out about Lee soon. Destiny will lead him. For now, he had to get stronger. It was his fate. Chunin exams were coming up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any grammatical errors/choppy writing areas. I just wanted to post this as fast as I could!


End file.
